If you have children, you can get free childcare for them with government help. There are different offers depending on the age of your children, and your personal circumstances.
Home Children, families, and safeguarding Support for families Childcare options
Childcare options
Tax free childcare
Who's it for?
Children: aged 0 to 11, or up to age 16 if they're disabled.
Who can get it?
Families: working and earning at least £125 per week, including the self-employed.
What do I get?
For every £8 you pay in, the government will add an extra £2, up to £2,000 per child per year.
15 hours free childcare (children aged 2)
Who's it for?
Children: aged 2.
Who can get it?
Families: receiving certain benefits.
What do I get?
You get 15 hours per week of free childcare or early education for 38 weeks (a total of 570 hours per year).
In Middlesbrough, it's called 'Achieving 2 Year Olds'.
15 hours free childcare (children aged 3 and 4)
Who's it for?
Children: aged 3 and 4.
Who can get it?
Families: all families.
What do I get?
You get 15 hours per week of free childcare or early education for 38 weeks (a total of 570 hours per year).
30 hours free childcare (children aged 3 and 4)
Who's it for?
Children: aged 3 and 4.
Who can get it?
Families: working and earning at least £125 per week, including the self-employed.
What do I get?
You get 30 hours of free childcare or early education for 38 weeks (a total of 1,140 hours per year).
Find out what you can get
The government's Childcare Choices website will show you which options are available to you, depending on:
- whether or not you're working
- if you're working, how much you earn
- whether you live with a partner
- whether or not your partner is working
- if your partner is in work, how much they earn
You can search online for a childminder or early education provider. You can also find out about other kinds of childcare (called 'approved childcare'), and whether you can get them using your free childcare entitlement.
Childcare Sufficiency Assessment 2021
The Childcare Sufficiency Assessment gives a picture of the current childcare market in Middlesbrough. It will be used to make sure that enough childcare is available across the town to meet the needs of parents.